Thoughts About God, People, and Culture

Whenever I return to the Old Testament Prophets, I can easily see why they’re not the most popular books in the Bible. Most of them contain repeated dismal phrases such as “Woe to you,” and “the wrath of the Lord shall come upon you” and something to the effect of “no one will escape; you will all die.” Not exactly the five-minute pick-me-up we strive for in our devotional times.

Nevertheless, the prophets are part of the Scriptural Canon, and it’s important we read, study, and seek to understand them. The problem is we don’t really like to. … More Judgment and Mercy

This world, this country, the church, seems to intent on ripping its self apart. Brother against brother. Creed against creed. Color against color. Even in the midst of a tragedy like the flooding and devastation of a major city, people still find a way to make jabs at the other side, glorify their ideology, and belittle this tragedy and the people it affects in the process. … More A Prayer for Peace

Christianity has quite a few stereotypes. Some of them are good. Some are not so good. And a lot of them are downright bad. Like most stereotypes, there’s at least a sliver of truth to them. We’ll take a look at six bad (but very real) Christian stereotypes and how we can avoid them. … More Six Christian Stereotypes and How to Avoid Them

Every one of us can learn something more about humility. (I know I can.) For those on platforms, whether a small country church or a megachurch serving thousands, it is important to remember that our roles are to serve others as Jesus served. Not just on the platform, but on the ground, washing one another’s feet. For the rest of us, we also must be willing to humbly serve others. … More The Paradox of Christian Celebrity

One of the hardest things to do as a Christian is to reconcile the unfathomable love of God with the inconceivable evil in this world. Much of the time we wave away the cognitive dissonance. Sometimes this hits closer to home. It is much harder to shrug off the cognitive dissonance in these moments, with our lives a mess and our prayers unanswered. … More When God’s Love Doesn’t Make Sense

Turn on the radio, find a top 40 station, and listen for a full hour. You’ll practically hear twenty variations of the same song, sung by different artists who sound like slightly altered copies of each other. How can we fix this? … More 3 Big Problems with Pop Music

Let me be up front and say that many of my criticisms of Christian music in the past have been either unfair or unwarranted. But many of the issues I take with Christian music have been more than fair, and I am far from alone in my opinions. The industry needs a change, just ask the multitudes of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) critics. A multitude of arguments could be made for the needed change, but a few stick out above the rest. … More 3 Big Problems With Christian Music

I have a love/hate relationship with politics. Watching the news is depressing, and it’s designed to make you angry at how screwed up the world is. At the same time, I enjoy being informed and having my opinions challenged. It’s intellectually stimulating, but emotionally draining. It’s simultaneously a high and a low. As someone who … More What Place Do Politics Have In The Church?

I’ve got news for you. Jesus is a Big Boy. He doesn’t need you to defend him. He can take whatever snide remark or rude criticism people have of him or his followers. He’s taken criticism before, and he can take it again. He’s certainly taken a lot worse. … More Jesus is a Big Boy

There is a line to walk when embracing culture. There are plenty of films, television shows, music, and books that are morally reprehensible and should be avoided rather than engaged. However, there is a lot to be gained from engaging culture from a place of common sense and critical thinking. … More Harry Potter and the Evangelicals